Journal profile · WATER RESOURCES
AWWA Water Science
ISSN 2577-8161 · John Wiley & Sons
AWWA Water Science: CAS Zone 4 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.9 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,000; median 156 days to acceptance (58 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 22% (journal website); 43 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
AWWA Water Science is published by John Wiley & Sons and is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Water Treatment and Disinfection, Water Systems and Optimization and Urban Stormwater Management Solutions, together about 40.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Mission AWWA Water Science is an interdisciplinary journal that publishes original, refereed (peer-reviewed) research on the science, engineering, and social aspects of water. Scope AWS publishes research exploring theoretical, experimental, and practical approaches that advance fundamental understanding and application of all aspects of water works and any source water that could conceivably become a potable water supply. The scope of AWS focuses on the physical, chemical, biological, and ecological processes that affect the quantity and quality of potable water. The scope of research published in AWS also includes the application of fundamental science, engineering, and social principles to managerial, policy, and public health issues that affect and are affected by water. Besides review articles, original research published in AWS typically is based upon measurement and modeling that develops or applies theoretical and applied principles to advance the scholarship of the water industry. AWS serves as an international forum for knowledge exchange and innovation, and manuscript submissions are evaluated for their practical significance, novelty, accuracy, collaboration, and the broader implications of the reported findings. Topics of interest include:
· Treatment processes for municipal water, wastewater, and reuse — Chemical, physical and biological methods
· Water quality monitoring, assessment, and improvement
· Chemical and microbial contaminant discovery, evaluation, fate, and transport
· Waterworks monitoring, assessment, and improvement
· Public health and risk assessments of water and waterworks
· Premise plumbing issues and consumer water quality
· Applied mathematical modeling and system analysis techniques for water and waterworks
· Socio-economic studies pertinent to water and waterworks
· Aspects of potable and non-potable water reuse
· Sustainability of water resources and water works
· Water conservation and drought response
· Finance/rates for water and waterworks
· New materials or technologies (instruments, sensors, waterworks components, etc.)
· Decision-making frameworks for water use and water works design, operation, and management
· Planning and design innovations for waterworks
· Hydraulics of water works The target audience includes:
· Waterworks researchers Academics/faculty and utility/manufacturer research departmentsConsultant research groups and regulatory research labs
· Larger research community Academic areas: chemistry, b
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): WATER RESOURCES
Editor-in-chief Kenneth L. MercerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 33, Canada 4, Taiwan, China 1, India 1, Australia 1 (41 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Water Treatment and DisinfectionEnvironmental Science20.5%
- Water Systems and OptimizationEngineering10.5%
- Urban Stormwater Management SolutionsEnvironmental Science9.9%
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances researchEnvironmental Science7%
- Toxic Organic Pollutants ImpactEnvironmental Science5.7%
- Water resources management and optimizationEngineering5.6%
- Wastewater Treatment and ReuseEnvironmental Science4.8%
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexWeb of SciencePublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.82LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.83LetPub ·
- h-index
- 27OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 84OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.72OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 38.18%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 34LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 381 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 9 | 7 |
| 2025 | 43 | 24 | 48 |
| 2024 | 38 | 20 | 124 |
| 2023 | 53 | 36 | 350 |
| 2022 | 56 | 14 | 398 |
| 2021 | 57 | 26 | 862 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
156 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 113 days – 221 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 21 days (58 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 176 days
- Sample
- 58 articles with submission and acceptance dates (61 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 22%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 13 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer review, Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,000 / EUR 2,500 / GBP 2,000 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 150 words
- Keywords
- 4
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Cover letter
- Optional
- Not considered
- preprints
Article types accepted11
- editorialOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- hypothesisOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- letterOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- letter to the editorOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- letters to the editorOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- meta-analysisOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- original researchOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- review articleOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- systematic reviewOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
- technical noteOriginal research, technical notes, and review articles follow the same path through peer review and aim for the same number of reviewers (3) for each manuscrip…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use 4c. Artificial Intelligence Policy
Generative AI only for readability, not new content Model summary
Where generative artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the manuscript writing process, authors must only use these technologies to improve the readability of the text, not to generate new text or other content in the article. Use of generative AI tools must be done with human oversight and control, and authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript and are thus liable for any…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship 4a. Authorship Policy
The journal follows the ICMJE definition of authorship, which indicates that authorship be based on the following four criteria: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND Final approval of the version to be published;…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest 4e. Conflict of Interest Policy
All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Potential conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to: employment by an industrial concern ownership of stock membership on a standing advisory council or committee a seat on the board of directors being publicly associated with a company or its products Other areas of real or perceived conflict of interest include receiving …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability 4d. Data Sharing and Data Accessibility Policy
Structural data must be deposited in databanks and released upon publication Model summary
AWWA Water Science recognizes the benefits of archiving data for scientific progress. Archived data provide an indispensable resource for the scientific community, making possible future replications and secondary analyses, in addition to allowing the verification of the dependability of published research findings. All published articles must include a data availability statement, and any include…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics 4h. Publication Ethics
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Note this journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Read Wiley’s Top 10 Publishing Ethics Tips for Authors here. Wiley’s Publication Ethics Guidelines can be found here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 3. Peer Review and Publication
3a. Peer Review and Acceptance The acceptance criteria for publication is the quality and originality of the research and its significance to journal readership. Papers will be sent to review only if the Editor-in-Chief determines the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. All articles selected for consideration are externally peer reviewed. As described previously, author…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints not considered Model summary
This journal will not consider articles previously available as preprints.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons
- ISSN
- 2577-8161
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 8, Issue 5 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about AWWA Water Science
What CAS zone is AWWA Water Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, AWWA Water Science is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Water Resources. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of AWWA Water Science?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.9; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.7, h-index 27.
How long does peer review take at AWWA Water Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 58 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 156 days (interquartile range 113–221 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 22%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of AWWA Water Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 150 words; Keywords: 4; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Cover letter: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of AWWA Water Science based?
Of the 41 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (33), Canada (4) and Taiwan, China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index AWWA Water Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, AWWA Water Science is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex and Web of Science; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is AWWA Water Science open access, and what is the APC?
AWWA Water Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,000.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .